MG-Cars.info

Welcome to our Site for MG, Triumph and Austin-Healey Car Information.

Parts

MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG MGB Technical - Cleaning antifreeze residue

Sorry if I've already asked this question (but I can't find it in Search), what's the best way to clean antifreeze residue from an engine and car paintwork?

My top rad hose has sprung a leak.

Thanks
T H Brearley

Rad top hose if newish could be part of the piss-poor rubber parts syndrome, even if 'Kevla', which I don't know if is still with parts suppliers for hoses, I went fit 'n' forget silicone hoses years ago.

Unless you've loads of contamination/crud/muck/rust particles in your coolant I've just used water or wash shampoo for spot cleaning on the engine. For paintwork rinse water, shampoo and rinse water or waterless wash 'n' wax now.


You posted your previous thread in the MGB General section, thread called 'Coolant residue'.

You asked -
"Does anyone know how to remove old coolant residue (white crystaline stuff) from a radiator please? I'm doing one up and want to remove the residue before paint.

Thanks"

Willy replied -
"CO (electrical parts) cleaner"
Nigel Atkins

Thanks Nigel.

The residue seems very persistent on the wing's paintwork - just the place I don't need it!
T H Brearley

Always try the least abrasive materials first, and repeat their use, serval times if required, before moving on to something slightly more abrasive.

After water or shampoo you could move on to whatever polish you normally use (not required if you've already used wash 'n' wax).

I've never had a problem and I use 4-Life coolant which is very concentrated, I've just used (my own) spit sometimes for spots in the the engine bay.
Nigel Atkins

I also use 4-life coolant in my roadster, which is fitted with silicone hoses. I have had a problem with slight coolant leakage around the ends of the hose, especially on the bottom hose where it meets the radiator. All the hoses are fitted using rolled edge jubilee clips. What end of the pipe should the jubilee clip be fitted - the radiator end or nearer to the flange at the end of the pipe? Would using a rolled edge T Bolt Clamp be more effective?

I find that any leakage residue can be cleaned off easily with white spirit.

Thanks

Andy
Andy Robinson

Andy,
as you'll soon see I'm not an expert or technical in anything but I do have a bit of experience of running various classics as dailys.

I've used 4-Life for more than a couple of decades in various classics and modern cars, lots of it. I've used a damp or moist sponge to wipe away dried 4-Life from the end bay or as I've put just spit.

4-Life is very concentrated so will leak where before standard coolant might not and will leak sooner, which is what I like as it gives earlier warning so that you can deal with the issue sooner.

You may have a leak if you deform a jubilee clip or re-use one that has been deformed (perhaps by overtightening, before retightening a fitted clip you should loosen it off a little to make sure the screw mechanism is moving).

To me it makes more sense if the clip is next to the flange in the pipe (is it technically a flange) but surely in theory if the clip properly seals the hose to the fitting it shouldn't matter, just better to guard against migration/movement/vibration.

I used to used rolled edge (stainless steel) jubilee clips and then read that they might not be as effective as I previously read - I think things can get over complicated and if the basics are good (clean and secure pipe, hose, clip) then that's all fine.

Were double wire clamps for going over both sides of the flange, were they wide enough to do so, I've no idea.
Nigel Atkins

No Nigel the wire clamps fit like the jubilee clamps - all on the pipe, not the flange.

Any residue on paintwork is easily cleaned off using T cut.
Chris at Octarine Services

Thanks Chris, I didn't really think so, more (shallow) musing, but I didn't know for sure.

T-Cut would be going far too abrasive for a first try. I've wiped 4-Life off the side of the painted rad days after filling with just a damp cloth or spit. I can't remember spilling any on body paintwork but I'd use the same or probably wash 'n' wax now.
Nigel Atkins

Nig,

"The residue seems very persistent on the wing's paintwork - just the place I don't need it!"

Sounds to me like this isn't the first try!

T cut is not that abrasive anyway.
Chris at Octarine Services

Sorry I'd forgotten it wasn't first try.

Still T-Cut comes after shampoo and polish/w&w as it's too abrasive to use if you don't have to.

Abrasive may well be the wrong technical term but I can't think of another word, and in probably totally incorrect technical terms, it's cutting/abrading some of the paint off.

You need to clean the area before applying T-Cut anyway so why not try a little more cleaning to avoid using the T-Cut.

I'd have thought T H must have/had very contaminated coolant for it to be very persistent on the wing's paintwork in my experience of spilled (standard) coolant.

But Chris would have so much more experience and knowledge than me so might know differently.
Nigel Atkins

Some years ago I met a driver who had mistakenly added antifreeze to his windscreen washer bottle. He tried several things to remove it, but in the end he had to clean it off with acetone, which is the only thing that can be relied upon to remove antifreeze from glass completely. However, I'm unsure as what it would do to paint.
Stephen Strange

This thread was discussed between 31/07/2020 and 16/08/2020

MG MGB Technical index

This thread is from the archives. Join the live MG MGB Technical BBS now